laws of the mind

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From Seicho-No-Ie "Truth of Life Magazine" of March / April / May 2001

MANY LAWSMan lives in a world of many laws. Within the so-called "natural laws"are physical laws and laws of the mind. Beyond them are the laws of lifeand the spiritual laws of a higher-dimensional world. In the Holy Sutra,Nectarean Shower of Holy Doctrines, it is stated:

God the CreatorIs beyond the five senses,Even beyond the sixth sense,HolySupreme,Infinite,Mind that penetrates the universe,Life that permeates the universe,Law that governs the universe...

The laws that govern the universe appear as natural physical laws aswell as laws of higher dimensions, such as the "law of life," the "law ofspirit," and the "law of love."God not only created earth itself but everything in it—the continents,islands, oceans—so it is not difficult for God to govern it all. When weraise our level of faith to where we can be in tune with God, then "God'slaw" will function.

LAWS SINCE CREATIONAll laws have existed from the time God created heaven and earth.In the Bible, we find: "In the beginning God created the heaven andthe earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darknesswas upon the face of the deep" (Genesis 1:1-2). Through the powerof words, God created heaven and earth and all laws from nothingness,from the void.The law of nuclear physics that made possible the thermonuclearbomb is based on Albert Einstein's famous mathematical formula,E=mc2 . From the time God created heaven and earth, mathematicallaws, as well as physical laws, have existed only to be "discovered" byman. Without exception, all laws, whether physical or spiritual, havebeen here from the beginning of time. Hundreds of new laws andprinciples have been discovered, and we are still searching for new lawsyet to be discovered.Isaac Newton "discovered" the law of gravity when he observed anapple falling to the ground. His Third Law of Motion—"For everyaction, there is an equal and opposite reaction"—was the principle thatled to the development of jet propulsion and rocketry. Astronomy isanother field where new galaxies are discovered almost routinely asmore powerful telescopes are developed. What we sometimes discover

are stars that have long been extinct. Have you ever wondered aboutall these so-called "discoveries" that are really only confirming what hasexisted since Creation?Physical laws and spiritual laws may operate separately. Take theoperation of a plane, for example. It functions through several physicallaws, basically the laws of gravity and aerodynamics. When theplane is on the ground, it functions under the law of gravity. But onceit revs up its jet engines, propelling it under Newton's Third Law ofMotion and becomes airborne, the law of aerodynamics takes over. Inflight, the plane may encounter engine trouble and fall to the ground.Here, the law of gravity takes over again, superseding the law of aerodynamics.Passengers may miraculously survive a plane crash.Spiritual laws of a higher dimension are at work when a plane or itspassengers "miraculously" escape from certain crash. We call this amiracle. However, if we knew and understood the entire spectrum oflaws that operate in our lives, we would know that so-called "miracles"are not miracles in the truest sense.

Learn How to do a Mind Purification Ceremony

At Seicho-No-Ie we do this ceremony of Mind Purification many times throughout the year.

Let us rid our minds of every single unhappy memory of the past.

Man’s happiness depends uponwhether his mind is at peace and maintains a happy and pleasant attitude.

It is essential to completely eradicate from the bottom of your subconscious mind those unpleasant thoughts and emotions imbedded in your deeper being.

The Mind Purification Service is a unique SNI exercise intended to eliminate negative thoughts and emotions from our minds and, at the same time, to introduce positive thoughts into our minds.

WHAT ARE MIRACLES?"Miracles" are not really miracles when we view them from theworld of a higher dimension. A miracle may be defined as the functioningof spiritual laws.In his book Rei Kuyoh Nyumon, "Introduction to theMemorialization of Spirits," Dr. Masaharu Taniguchi wrote:"Nowadays, the mass media talks about man's supernatural powers.No matter how much they talk about 'freedom,' most human beingsin the material world really have no freedom. In their desire to overcomethe barriers of matter, they yearn for supernatural powers."Many people think that cities are a world of infinite freedom wherethey can obtain every kind of pleasure. So they gather in them, andwe see the phenomena of large populations in the cities. However, thelarger the cities that people long for, the thicker are their materialwalls. The metropolis is a world filled with boxes of steel and concrete.Within these are more walls of concrete, and within the confines ofthese concrete cells, human beings are packed in like sardines."Man wants to slip out from these confines of steel girders and wallsof concrete."We are surrounded by walls of steel and concrete that restrain ourfreedom. Moreover, when we walk outside, we see roadways laid withconcrete and asphalt. We rarely see the soft earth that God providedfor us. The world of matter is cold and devoid of feeling. All matterexists within the framework of the three dimensions of length, width,and height. If an attempt is made to break the walls of matter, say witha hammer, the shattered result is still matter; thus, matter cannot beovercome."In order to transcend the constraints of matter, we must transcendthe world of three dimensions. The desire to slip out of the constraintsof the three-dimensional .world provides the impetus to search for ahigher-dimensional world.

WHAT ARE THE WORLDS OF DIFFERENTDIMENSIONS?"When something occupies one fixed position with nothing aroundit, we call this a point. (Ed. note: This fixed position is sometimescalled the zero dimension). When the point extends in a straight line,this line becomes a world of one dimension. When this straight lineis rolled out as with a rolling pin, a flat surface of length and width iscreated. This plane surface is now a world 'of two dimensions."Take the example of an insect living in a two-dimensional world.Since it is not living in the three-dimensional world of length, width,and height, the insect can only see within the confines of a two-dimensionalplane. Let us say that when the insect decides to have a meal, ahuman being from the three-dimensional world decides to play a trickon it by snatching its food away, so the food suddenly disappears fromits sight. No matter how hard the insect tries to find its food, it cannotlocate it in its two-dimensional world. To the insect, the suddendisappearance of its food is a 'miraculous' happening."When the human being decides to return the food to the insect,the insect will see its food appearing as suddenly as it disappeared andthink, 'From nothingness, matter appeared; this is indeed a miracle.'Of course, we human beings, living in the world of three dimensions,do not think of this as a miracle."Now, how about man living in the three-dimensional world? Heknows through his sensory perceptions that this world consists of thethree dimensions of length, width, and height. However, he is notaware of the worlds of fourth, fifth, and even higher dimensions.From this standpoint, a spirit without the constraints of the physicalbody will have supernatural powers and a completely free life that transcendsthe existence of human beings" (pp. 8-14).Dr. Taniguchi tells the story of the captain of a ship that ranaground off the coast of China. The ship went aground at the highestspring tide and was left high and dry with no hope of a higher tide tofloat it off the shoal. The captain tried everything humanly possiblebut could not dislodge the ship. The captain, who was a member ofSeicho-No-Ie, prayed and prayed. Then, miraculously, a tide that washigher than ever came, and the ship managed to float off the shoal.Here Dr. Taniguchi explains that it would be impossible to raise thelevel of the tide simply by the law of mental science or psychologicallaws. Through the captain's prayers, the spiritual law, or law of God,transcended the physical law. Since God created heaven and earth, itis not difficult for Him to have complete control over His own creation.Through prayer and faith, the physical law was overcome, andthe tide rose to free the ship. (From Kami No Shingi To Sono Rikai,"The True Meaning and Understanding of God," pp. 30-31.)An interesting parallel may be found in the following example:Under physical laws, a solid becomes a liquid when heated, and theliquid becomes a gas when more heat is applied. When the ship ranaground, all physical laws applied to extricate the ship from the shoalwere to no avail. But then another law came into play, the spirituallaw. Like the physical law that transforms a solid into liquid when heat

is applied, the spiritual law came into play. The "heat" applied herewas the power of prayer by the captain.The temperature of our mind should also rise as we elevate ourfaith. Praying only through an egotistical frame of mind is simplyapplying the law of mental or psychological science. This law cannotevoke the laws of God.We live in a three-dimensional world and erroneously believe thatthe physical world we perceive with our sensory perceptions is theonly world that exists. The laws of the mind are only a portion of thewhole range of laws that operate in the various realms of the physicaland spiritual worlds. Seicho-No-Ie and other New Thought groupsrecognize them as having a profound impact on our daily lives.Therefore, "Seicho-No-Ie may be said to be a school that teaches thelaws of the mind to determine which mental attitudes produce certainphysical results."If we do not know the physicochemical laws, we may misuse thelaws and, as a result, take an electric current intended to produce lightand mistakenly use it to start a fire, causing houses and people to beburnt. Similarly, if we do not know the laws of the mind, a certainmind function that should benefit others may be misapplied, causingdeaths. Depending on whether it is used properly or not, the same lawcan either benefit or hurt others. People in Seicho-No-le are alwayshappy, healthy, and prosperous because they are familiar with the lawsof the mind" (365 Golden Keys to a Completely Free Life, pp. 220-221,text edited).

THE STRUCTURE OF THE MIND

"Man's capacity for consciousness alone makes him man."--Carl G. lung ( 1875-1961)Having consciousness, as Jung stated. is a distinctive characteristicof man. The capacity to think and be aware of his existence is theexclusive domain of a human being. Descartes (1596-1650). theFrench philosopher who is considered the father of modern philosophy,wrestled with the concept of the mind as he sought the basis ofman's existence: Cogito, ergo sum — "I think, therefore I am."However, besides the conscious mind, the subconscious mind hasgained widespread acceptance with the advent of modern psychology andpsychosomatic medicine. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)- thefather of psychoanalysis, described the subconscious as "the complexof mental activities within an individual that proceed without hisawareness." Jung later extrapolated the subconscious from the personalto the collective subconscious which he described as inheritedfeelings. thoughts, and memories shared by all mankind.Seicho-No-le expands on this even further.in that as we delve deeper the consciousnessshared by humanity will ultimately lead us tothe very source of our existence—and thatis the superconsciousness. We call this God.

In the Holy Sutra, Song of the Angel, we read:The Truth that you must first awaken tois that your real self is God.Know that every one of the countless soulsare also reflections of the one Spirit of GodIn the same way that a single objectreflected by a million mirrors appears in a million forms.Although your souls are separate and appear to be different,You are all one and reflections of the one Spirit of God.Dr. Masaharu Taniguchi described consciousness in his book, HaneiTo Kenko ("Prosperity and Health"), as follows:"The mind that ponders about this or that, or feels emotions, orthinks 1 want to do this' or 'I want to do that' or 'it is beautiful' or 'It isso pure— that mind is the `conscious mind.' The word 'consciousnessis a term used in psychology and philosophy to mean 'mind'" (p. 270).Sigmund Freud described consciousness as activities that areimmediately within the "sphere of -awareness."Within the sphere of awareness are such activitiesas reading a book, listening tomusic, writing a letter. playing agame, solving mathematicalproblems. etc.

The conscious mind was described by William James ( 1842-1910).the American psychologist who introduced the concept of "field ofconsciousness' as one's "total state, the entire wave of consciousness orfield of objects present to rhisl thought at any time ( The Varieties ofReligious Experience).Dr. Taniguchi described the mind in this manner:-The mind is like an iceberg. with the subconscious mind becomingincreasingly larger as it goes deeper. The conscious mind. which,Ippears above the surface, is only the tip of the iceberg. What appearsabove the surface of the water is only a small portion of the iceberg asmost of its large mass is below the surface and out of sight.

"The subconscious mind is exactly like this. It becomes bigger as itgoes deeper. and the lower portion of the subconscious mind is whatis common to and interconnected with all mankind."This common consciousness is called humanity consciousness. Ifyou go even deeper, you reach a region that is common to all personsand all things— cosmic consciousness. This is the mind that isomnipresent throughout the universe. Some people call this 'universalconsciousness.' Our minds are such that if we reach down tothe very depths of our subconscious, we find that we are all part andparcel of the mind that is omnipresent throughout the universe"(Hanel To Kenko, "Prosperity and Health," p. 276).

God, in creating all things.Uses no clay,No wood,No hammer.And no chisel:He uses neither tools nor materials whatsoever:He creates solely with His Mind.His Mind is the Creator of all things,His Mind is the Substance that fills the universe,His Mind is indeed Almighty God, the Omnipresent.—From the Holy Sutra, Nectarean Shower of Holy Doctrines

"God is omnipresent. Therefore, God's mind is also omnipresent.All things created through His mind are also within His mind. Thereis nothing that is outside of God's mind. We are surrounded by Hismind and enfolded in it" (Kann No Sbingi To Sono Rikai, "The TrueMeaning and Understanding of God," p. 70).We. in fact, possess two kinds of consciousness. One is the "surface"or conscious mind, and the other is our "immanent" or subconsciousmind."Our subconscious mind knows ahead of time exactly what is goingto happen while the conscious mind does not. It is because, althoughthe conscious minds of individuals are separated from each other just asthe peaks of icebergs are separated. in the depths of the subconscious.our minds become one with the universal mind" (Han'ei To Kenko."Prosperity and Health." p. 276).Dr. Taniguchi wrote in his book. jinsei LI<ir Kokoro De Shiba; Seyo,"Control Your Life With Your Mind":"The conscious mind is merely a point that protrudes on the surfaceof the subconscious. It has the role of receiving or preventing unwholesomethings from entering the mind. The subconscious mind, on theother hand, passively accepts whatever is impressed on it by the consciousmind, entrusting it further to the creative power of the GrandLife (God) of the universe. The conscious mind is the surface mindthat consciously selects whatever impressions come. The relationshipbetween the subconscious and the Grand Life of the universe may bedescribed as waves appearing on the surface of the vast sea of theomnipresent mind of the Grand Life. The subconscious is theomnipresent mind of the Grand Life that becomes individualizedamong us. When we become aware of this Truth, we will know that,after all, we are connected to God. that through our subconscious weare all indeed one with all things in the universe" (pp. 63-64).Here. we must remember that each individual is like the crest of awave in the ocean. We can imagine this as we stand along the seashore.We see wave after wave in unending cycles crashing along the shoreline.Just below the surface of the raging sea, the water will be turbulent.but at deeper levels, it becomes less and less agitated. In contrastto the surface of clamoring waves, in the very depths of the ocean allis quiet and peaceful. This is like the world of God where we are allconnected as one in the Grand Life of the universe.

THE LAYERS OF THE CONSCIOUS MINDAbout the layers of the conscious mind. Dr. Taniguchi wrote:"Psychology has delved deeply into the human mind and explainedits inner structure. it is not simply the conscious mind but the subconsciousmind that controls physiological functions as well as actionstaken without conscious effort. It explains that God does not mete outso-called 'divine punishment' but that 'self-punishment' is imposed byone's own subconscious mind. In other words, if the subconsciouswere to take one erroneous step, it would create disorder in physiologicalfunctions or perhaps allow one to unconsciously take a train thatwas destined to collide."In the depths of the subconscious. there is 'humanity consciousness.'This is the sum total of all the sufferings humanity has experiencedfrom the past. When humanity consciousness that is harboredin our subconscious is touched upon, that such and such a situationwill bring suffering, for example, then suffering will be manifested invarious forms. When these misfortunes and calamities arise, weshould know that they were never the divine punishment of our'Father who art in heaven— (Komi No Shingi To Sono Rikai, "The TrueMeaning and Understanding of God." p. 58).Each individual's consciousness congregates and helps to form onegigantic wave called the 'consciousness of the human race,' and uponthat wave each person's consciousness floats" (365 Golden Ktys to theSummit of Fulfillment. p. 294).Dr. Taniguchi further explained:"Reading books on pathology or dietetics. and hearing and seeingmedicines advertised on the radio and television, all Mto engravingupon the subconscious mind the thought that 'man is subject to disease.'The prevalence of such messages sometimes creates circumstancessuch as a school's closing because of a flu epidemic. The mass media'sinfluence in promoting a disease mentality will only make mankind lesshealthy" (Ibid., p. 295).To overcome the tide of "humanity consciousness," Dr. Taniguchisuggested that we practice Shinsokan meditation "...and look into theperfection of the God-created world with unwavering firmness andestablish unequivocal faith strong enough to resist and transcend thewaves of humanity consciousness" (ibid., p. 294)."Beyond humanity consciousness is 'cosmic consciousness.' Since oursubconscious is connected to the consciousness of the whole universe, inthe world of the subconscious, one will implicitly know what will happen.as well as when and where it will happen. Those who subconsciouslydesire self-punishment will attract misfortune to themselves unawares.Further beyond 'cosmic consciousness' is 'superconsciousness.' This is theconsciousness that resides within every individual as `transcendentalindwelling God.' This transcendental indwelling God is your True-Imageself. By following the whispers of the indwelling God, you will naturallybecome happy" (Kami No Shingi To Sono Rikai, "The True Meaningand Understanding of God," p. 58).Somewhere below the middle of the subconscious is "local consciousness."This is the consciousness shared by a group of people situatedin a certain locale. Oftentimes. we see cases that seem to eitherdefy explanation or which cannot be attributed to happenstance. Wesee examples of a rash of accidents occurring in certain areas. A "dangerous"intersection where there is an abnormal number of accidentsmay be attributed to the common consciousness shared by the peopleof that particular location.In summary, human consciousness may be likened to an iceberg. Inthe chart of human consciousness on pages 12-13, the wavy line is thethreshold that separates the conscious from the subconscious. Note thatthe individual peaks are interconnected through the subconscious. localconsciousness. humanity consciousness, cosmic consciousness. andsuperconsciousness. Humanity consciousness comprises the collectivethoughts that have accumulated from the past. "floating" on the consciousnessof humanity. At the yen, bottom of the chart is superconsciousness--the vast sea of the world of God with infinite wisdom, love.life, abundance, joy, and harmony. This is the world of Grand Harmonywhere: All things that 1 desire, that I need, come to me of their ownaccord: and all rhinos that 1 do not desire, that I do not need, leave meof their own accord" ("Shinsokan Meditation for Fulfillment").

CONTROL YOUR DESTINY WITH THE LAWSOF THE MIND"Law of Cause and Effect. Successful people are in the main those whoutilize the law of causality skillfully. They believe that everything has itsown cause, and that nothing can come merely by chance, but that everythingcomes by the law. Both the beginning and end of thin gs — thecause and the effect—are linked together in one complete circle that cannotbe broken or become slack." —Ralph Waldo EmersonThe all-pervading law of the mind is the law of causality that prevailsin all aspects of our daily life. We call this the Law of Cause andEffect. This law is an important concept of the teachings of Buddhismand is also called the Law of Karma. f"Karma (Skt.): Potential energiesresiding in the inner realm of life which manifest themselves asvarious results in the future. The term originally meant action, whichin Buddhism was interpreted to mean mental. verbal and physicalactions, i.e.. thoughts, words and deeds. Every action, both good andevil, imprints a latent influence in one's life... According to this concept,one's actions in the past have shaped his reality at present, and hisactions in the present in turn determine his future" — From ADictionary of Buddhist Terms and concepts.]Not a single day goes by that we do not see examples of this law. Itmay be simply an innocuous happening that we shrug off as "just oneof those rhinos." But when we think about it and reflect on it, we mayrealize that the particular incident was the result of something thattook place just a short while ago, or sometime ago. The cause. in factmay be traced back many centuries, even millennia. We see many ofthese "karmic laws" in action when we open the daily papers or watchthe news on television. Newspapers are replete with stories— the socallednews that make headlines — but are they really "news" in thesense that what we are seeing is actually the "result" and not the"cause"? In interpreting past events, historians invariably look to causeand effect. Any conflict in the world today can be traced back to along series of events. often involving human greed and ambition.

LAW OF RECIPROCITY"Be merciful, just as your father is merciful. Do not judge, and youwill not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give. and it will be given to you. Agood measure, pressed down, shaken together. and running over, willbe poured into your lap. For with the measure that you use, it will bemeasured to you" (NW. Luke 6:36-38).The law of reciprocity is evident in our physical world. Trees, grass,and other plant life all give off oxygen. while all animal life gives offcarbon dioxide. Plant life is sustained by carbon dioxide, absorbingthe carbon dioxide given off by animal life. Conversely, animal lifeinhales the oxygen emitted by plant life.Whether we are aware of it or not, we are reaping the fruits of seedswe have sown in our daily life. Through our thoughts. words, andactions, we are sowing seeds that may bear fruit tomorrow. nextmonth, or far off in the future. When you arise in the morning, beginthe day aright by practicing Shinsokan meditation to connect yourselfto your indwelling God that is permeating the whole universe.In this month's "Recitation of the Truth," Dr. Taniguchi relates God'swords:

"You are one with Almighty God who created the universe.Become completely aware of this Truth and thereby banish all fears andall worries about the future. Simply deepen your sense of oneness withMe, and live by listening to My voice and by obeying My will. Whenyou do this. you will be able to demonstrate My very power in your life."

When you know this, the seeds that you sow now will bear the fruitsthat God has already ordained for you.

LAW OF ACTION AND REACTIONThe Law of Action and Reaction is a universal principle of the lawof the mind that we see and experience in our daily life. Above, wediscussed Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion - - For every action,there is an equal and opposite reaction"—which became the principleof jet propulsion and rocketry. The rocket power that launched theChallenger space shuttle was based on this principle. When we rideon a jetliner, we are also experiencing the principle of Newton's ThirdLaw of Motion.On the interpersonal plane, the same principle applies. If you areforgiving of others, you will be forgiven. If you shout expletives at others,they will likely shout back at you. If you smile at others, they willsmile back at you. If you are critical of others. you can expect to be criticized.If you express kindness, you will most certainly have kindnessexpressed in return. When you praise others, you will very likely bepraised. When you express love. love will surely come back to you.

LAW OF AFFINITYThe principle of the Law of Affinity— that like attractslike, and the unlike repels—can be demonstrated witha magnet, where the positive pole attracts and the negative pole repels.This physical law can be applied to the mind and may also be calledthe Law of Attraction. We see this law in action every day. "Birds ofa feather flock together" is commonly used to describe this law. Wesee people who share similar affinities belonging to the same social,business, or political groups. Book lovers join a reading club. Peopleinterested in the environment belong to an environmental protectiongroup. You see music lovers attending a symphony concert. A tonedeafperson would probably not attend a musical event, and aRepublican would not be at a Democratic Convention.About this, Seicho Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-le, writes inMessages of Wisdom and Love:- One of the laws ruling this world is the law of like attracts like.'In other words, those of the same kind will come together. Just ashorses run with horses and cows herd with cows, birds of a featherflock together."People become friends with others who are like them. Seriousmindedpeople will have serious-minded friends, and misguidedyouths will have misguided friends. Families are no exception: similarminds come together" (p. 72. text edited).Oftentimes. we blame external causes for mishaps and events thatjust seem to happen. We do not realize that the world we live in is areflection of our mind. No matter what sort of dis- s aveaster. calamity, or illness may strike you, do notblame something or someone else for the dire straits you find yourselfin. Dr. Taniguchi wrote in Truth of Life, Volume 1:

"When we meet with a mishap, we think that a ruffian called`mishap' came from somewhere and bumped into us even though wewere faultless. But the reason we meet with a mishap and are hurt isthat there is an affinity between the mishap and the state of our mind.The two come together because like attracts like- (p. 129. text edited).Conversely, there is a law that says "the unlike repels." We mentionedpreviously that in the deep recesses of the subconscious, our minds areconnected with humanity consciousness. Dr. Taniguchi has an examplein Truth of Life, Volume 1, describing how "a tragedy affecting a largenumber of people cannot be prevented even if we were to concentrateour minds and broadcast thoughts which are opposite to it (p. 125, textedited). However, he continues, "...if our minds hold to firm, healthyconvictions which would prevent us from being drawn into any mishap,the mishap may occur, but in keeping with the law of the mind that theunlike repels, we will be cast outside its whirlpool even if those who mustexperience it are drawn into it" (Ibid., p. 125, text edited).For more on this, please read Chapter 4, "Fate Takes Shape in theWorld of the Mind," Truth of Life, Volume I.]

OUR ENVIRONMENT IS THE REFLECTIONOF OUR MINDWhatever we think will appear in this physical world. According toDr. Taniguchi: "When we project our thoughts through this law, whateverthoughts we have will appear exactly as we have imagined. This islike a movie projector that has been loaded with a reel of film. Whenthe projector is turned on. through this law, images will appear on themovie screen exactly as they were filmed."Thoughts are also like seeds. When seeds are sown in the world oflaws. the laws will cause the seeds to sprout, and according to the laws, theseeds that are sown will be harvested. When you plant chrysanthemumseeds, chrysanthemum will bloom; when you plant thistle seeds, thistlewill bloom. Thus, it is to be expected that when we plant seeds of 'illnessin the world of the mind, illness will appear. and when seeds of 'poverty'are planted, poverty will appear. As much as we can, ler us visualize onlyhappiness in our minds" (Shinri, "Truth." Volume 9. p. 40).

WHAT WE RECOGNIZE WILL APPEARIn the Lotus Sutra, one of the scriptures of Shakamuni Buddha,there is a parable about a rich man and his beggar friend. One dav, asthe rich man was walkince-t, down the street. he saw a beggar. He recognizedhim as his long-lost friend and took him home. The beggar,his hungry friend, was royally treated and wined and dined with asumptuous meal. With his stomach full and the wine taking its effect,he soon fell asleep. The rich man had to leave on a business trip anddecided not to awaken his friend. As a parting gift. he sewed a jewelinto a corner of his friend's clothing. With this gemstone, the richman reasoned, his friend would be well provided for the rest of his life.Sometime later, the rich man again saw his friend who was still a beggar.He was flabbergasted to see him still dressed in tattered clothing.Apparently. the beggar did not realize that he had a priceless gem in hisclothing when he left his rich friend's house and continued on his way.The beggar friend went through many difficult times, unaware that allalong he had the gem and thus was unable to use it to take himself outof poverty. After the rich man pointed out that the gem was sewn inhis clothing, his beggar friend was able to lead a very prosperous life.Through this parable, Shakamuni taught that unless one becomesaware of the salvation offered to him, he cannot avail himself of it.This brings home the principle that what is not recognized will notmanifest. Only that which is recognized will appear.

VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL TRUTHSSeicho-No-le expounds two Truths: the Vertical Truth and theHorizontal Truth. The Vertical Truth is that "Man is a child of Godwho was born from the Grand Life of God, eternally unchanging andimperishable." As a child of God, man is perfect and harmonious,endowed with all the inherited attributes of God. Intersecting theVertical Truth is the Horizontal Truth that "The phenomenal world isa reflection of the mind." This is the world of appearance which wecan change through our mind. The inconstancy of the world aroundus is one of the principal concepts of the Buddhist doctrines. This wasindeed the Horizontal Truth discovered by Shakamuni Buddha whenhe became enlightened—that all things in the phenomenal world arethe manifestations of our mind. This is the world of appearance, theprojection or reflection of our mind.

At the center is Mon, a child of God,existing in the phenomenal worldwhich reflects his mind.The phenomenal14world is o reflection of the mind.

In phenomena we have the "false image - and the "True Image."Both appear as overlapping images like a double-exposure film, causingwhat one sees to be distorted and unclear. The True-Image Worldis the unfolding of God's mind. (Ed. note: For more on "True Imageand Phenomenon," please see the July 1999 issue of Truth of Life- magazine,pp. 7-15.) What we see in the phenomenal world now is theprojection of our mind. Since the imperfections that appear in thephenomenal world are the projections of our mind. it is essential thatwe polish our mind-lens in order to manifest the perfection of theTrue-Image World as created by God.Whatever you visualize, whether it be a false image or the TrueImage, will be manifested. Therefore, you must constantly maintainbright thoughts if a bright life is what you desire. Do not harbor fearor anxiety about whether or not your desire will become a reality. Nomatter how much you may want something, if you harbor negativethoughts, you will not succeed in attaining your desire.

PLANT ONLY SEEDS OF GOOD THOUGHTSAccording to the laws of the mind, when our conscious mind actswith conviction, the subconscious will receive the conviction andmanifest our resolve. Every day, we must consciously strive to sowonly good "thought seeds." Occasionally, unawares, we may sow negativethought seeds. Since the laws of the mind firmly exist and do notmake any distinction between good and bad seeds, we must takeresponsibility for our actions. If we sow seeds of hatred. we will eventuallyface hatred. If we are grateful to all people and all things. we willlikewise receive gratitude from others for our acts of love. We mayblame God for our misfortunes, but God does not mete out punishmentor retribution. It is the seeds we have sown that bear fruit inaccordance with the laws of the mind.One of the "Gems of Wisdom" of Seicho-No-le says: "Do you wishto be sympathized by others? If you do, you are attracting to yourselfthe very circumstances that will cause you to be worthy of their sympathy.- This is a lesson that must be learned if you wish to overcomedisease as well as poor circumstances. Many people suffer from illnessor misfortune because, in their subconscious mind, they seek sympathyfrom others for the problems they have brought upon themselves.Then, according to the law of "like attracts like," negative mentalvibrations will attract other negative mental vibrations being broadcastby unhappy people all over the world.In order to change our destiny through the laws of the mind, Dr.Taniguchi explained: "The universe functions according to laws. Wecannot change the laws nor are we able to prevent what has alreadybeen decided by the laws except through the laws. It is like trying touse our hands to stop oxygen and hydrogen from combining to formwater. There is no other way to prevent what is happening in our fateexcept through the laws. Thus, we should constantly visualize onlygood things and impress them into our subconscious" (Shinri,"Truth," Volume 8, pp. 310-311).

A HAPPY MIND CREATESA HAPPY DESTINY!

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